The invention relates to an electrical contact coupling for automatic center- or central buffer couplings for rail vehicles, more particularly for claw couplings with protective arm, rotatable claw and fall bar, of the xe2x80x9cAARxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cJanneyxe2x80x9d type for example, or with two rigid claws and claw bar, of the xe2x80x9cWillisonxe2x80x9d type for example, with a contact carrier secured to the coupling head and guided so as to be displaceable longitudinally in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling.
Cable couplings which are fixedly connected to the mechanical coupling (DE-PS 499 955 or DE-PS 811 360), those which are mounted on the coupling head with a mounting joint so as to be forwardly pivotable (D)E-PS 927 445, DE-PS 10 34 681 or DE-PS 10 21 407) and those which are arranged on the mechanical coupling so as to be displaceable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coupling (DE 24 14 384 A1, DE-PS 10 71 743 or DE-PS 10 20 361) are well known.
Arrangements with cable couplings guided longitudinally above, to the side of or underneath the coupling head are well known from the last-mentioned specifications. The electrical cable couplings are basically used for power and/or signal transmission.
In general, with automatic center couplings or central buffer couplings, the cable couplings are often also coupled and/or uncoupled automatically as required. The co-coupling of line couplings, more particularly electrical cable couplings, requires that the mechanical coupling represents a rigid system or one which is made rigid, i.e. a rigid and largely play-free coupling connection between two coupling heads is required.
The coupling heads of the mechanical couplings of the specified prior art have at the front end a flat abutting surface or front face, arranged transversely to the longitudinal axis, which comes into contact with the corresponding abutting surface of the mating coupling. An air line coupling is often arranged on or in this abutting surface, this being described in DE 24 14 384 A1 and DE-PS 10 20 361, for example.
For certain types of central buffer couplings, more particularly for claw couplings, of the xe2x80x9cAARxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cJANNEYxe2x80x9d type for example, finding a simple and advantageous design and arrangement for a line coupling to be co-coupled is difficult, as these types have no front face or abutting surface on the coupling end oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis. Also, the mechanical coupling heads make transverse movements in the coupling operation which have to be compensated for. Some solutions with their own facilities or carriers for air line couplings of claw couplings of the xe2x80x9cWillisonxe2x80x9d type are known (for example from DE 17 55 354 C3, DE 17 50 231 A1 or DE 16 05 205 A1), but often with these vertical, tall-construction central buffer couplings the necessary installation spaces and clearances for installing an air line coupling and/or an electrical contact coupling are not available or solutions can only be realised with considerable technical effort or economic expenditure and with difficulties or limitations.
The object underlying the invention for an automatic center- or central buffer coupling of the type specified in the introduction, more particularly for claw couplings, is to indicate an economic and flat-construction solution for the design and arrangement of an electrical contact coupling and an air line coupling.
According to the invention, an electrical contact coupling is provided for an automatic center- or central buffer coupling for rail vehicles, more particularly for claw couplings with protective arm, rotatable claw and fall bar, e.g. of the xe2x80x9cAARxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cJanneyxe2x80x9d type, or with two rigid claws and claw bar, erg. of the xe2x80x9cWillisonxe2x80x9d type, with a contact carrier secured to the coupling head and guided so as to be displaceable longitudinally in the longitudinal direction of the central buffer coupling. The contact coupling has contacts for electrical connections and is displaceable from a rear, uncoupled position into a forward position ready for coupling. The contact carrier is covered in the rear position by a protective flap and is freed in the forward position as the protective flap is swivelled. A longitudinally displaceable contact carrier is arranged underneath and on a supporting unit which for its part is elastically supported on and secured to the coupling head underneath the coupling head. Actuating cylinders are arranged within the supporting unit for the longitudinal displacement of the contact carrier. An air line coupling with an orifice is arranged on the supporting unit in the coupling plane.
The electrical contact coupling supporting unit may have a smaller height measurement, more particularly a smaller height measurement than the contact carrier. A perpendicular distance (A) between the horizontal center longitudinal plane of the air line coupling and the horizontal center longitudinal plane of the contact carrier is preferably about 160 mm.
Centering elements for pre-centering the electrical contact coupling may be arranged on the supporting unit. Centering elements for the precise centering of the contact carrier may also be arranged on the contact carrier. Respective stud/socket arrangements may be provided as the centering elements for pre- and precise centering, a centering socket for precise centering on the contact carrier being associated with the centering pin for pre-centring on the supporting unit on the same side with respect to the perpendicular longitudinal center plane and a centering pin for precise centering on the contact carrier being associated with the centering socket for pre-centering on the supporting unit on the other side of the perpendicular longitudinal center plane, such that in the centering operation a centering pin and a centering socket are arranged on each side of the perpendicular center longitudinal plane.
A last perpendicular row of contacts respectively on the contact surface of the contact carrier is preferably arranged symmetrically on either side of the perpendicular longitudinal center plane of the electrical contact coupling at a distance (B) of about 119 mm.
The usual stud/socket contacts for power and/or signal transmission, data bus/CCTV contacts are preferably also arranged in the contact surface of the contact carrier. The data bus/CCTV contacts may be arranged in the contact surface of the contact carrier, 5 data bus contacts respectively being arranged horizontally in the top and bottom marginal region of the contact carrier and 4 data bus contacts being arranged in the mid-perpendicular, the topmost data bus contact of this perpendicular row preferably being identical to the center data bus contact of the top horizontal row and the bottommost data bus contact of the perpendicular row being identical to the center data bus contact of the bottom horizontal row, such that a contact pattern in the shape of a horizontal H-arrangement of data bus/CCTV contacts is produced. The distance (C) between the top and bottom horizontal row of data bus/CCTV contacts is preferably about 112 mm. A distance (D) between the extreme left and the extreme right data bus/CCTV contact of the top and bottom row is preferably about 219 mm.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.